Andra Day Didn't 'Feel Prettier' After Losing 40 Lbs. to Play Billie Holiday: 'I Liked Being Juicy'

Andra Day.Photo: Chrisean RoseAndra Dayhad mixed feelings about her weight loss to playBillie Holidayin her feature film debut.In a new interview withInStyle, the 36-year-old actress and singer opened up about dropping 40 lbs. for her role as the iconic jazz legend in Hulu’sThe United States vs. Billie Holiday, for which she won a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination for best actress.“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Do you feel prettier now that you’ve lost weight?

Andra Day Had to 'Starve' Herself to Play Billie Holiday: 'Don't Do It This Way'

Andra Day.Photo: PHOTOGRAPHED BY AB+DM Andra Dayhas a word of advice for anyone who wants tolose weight the way she did to play Billie Holiday: “Don’t.” The singer and actress, 36, had dropped 40 lbs. to “transform” into the role and better emulateHoliday. Day, though, strongly cautions against following her method. “I got to a point where I was starting to starve myself. I’d starve myself, binge eat a little, then starve myself, then binge,” she said.

Andra Day on How She's Celebrating Her Historic Golden Globes Win: 'I'm Gonna Eat Everything'

Andra Day.Photo: Myriam Santos; Courtesy HFPA Andra Dayis stuffing her face — with zero regrets! “I’ve been on a diet for three years for this movie role, to drop the weight and everything, so there’s cake outside … we just got to eat so much food,” said Day, 36. “We’re very hungry. Me, I’m very hungry.” For more on the Golden Globes, listen below to the episode of PEOPLE Every Day!

Andra Day Says It's a 'Little Overwhelming' to Be Nominated for an Oscar Alongside Viola Davis

Andra Dayis celebrating all the women nominated alongside her for their outstanding performances this past year. On playing Holiday, Day said, “This experience, outside of my niece and nephew, was the greatest experience of my life.” Rob Latour/Shutterstock When asked about how she felt being nominated for awards alongside veteran actresses like Davis and McDormand, Day said she wasn’t in any sort of competition with the women in her category.

Andra Day Stuns in Chilling Trailer for Lee Daniels' 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'

Andra Day transforms into jazz singer Billie Holiday in the first trailer for her big starring debut. Day, 36, plays Holiday inThe United States vs. Billie Holiday, telling the little known story of how Holiday was a Civil Rights leader before the movement became mainstream. The moving trailer introduces the vibrant Holiday and her growing success as a singer, for both Black and white audiences. But as her song “Strange Fruit,” a chilling ballad about lynching, gains popularity, Holiday becomes a target for the FBI.